Hunters of Dune (Sci Fi Essential Books)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
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Book Reviews of Hunters of Dune (Sci Fi Essential Books)
Book Review: Unnecessary sequels and prequels aside don't expect anything resembling Frank Herbert's DUNE
Summary: 3 Stars
Judged on its own merits Brian Herbert And Kevin Anderson's prequels and sequels to Herbert's pivotal novels lack subtly and that's because they are geared towards a dumbed down audience. The duo acknowledge that Frank's series as it progressed sold less and less and that's because the series became denser focusing on much larger issues even than in the first trio of books in the series.
That said HUNTERS OF DUNE does try to pick up the strands left hanging at the end of CHAPTERHOUSE. While it may suffer by comparison the duo create a solid adventure that will appeal to young SF readers who don't care or who haven't read the first three of novels by Herbert. To their credit the style is certainly breezier. Sure there's still clunky dialogue (there was in Frank's novels as well)but its clear that these novels are written with 30 years of change in writing styles,plotting, etc.
HUNTERS takes up where CHAPTERHOUSE left off. The novel does give run downs on what happened in the previous book since it was published in 1985. The Ithaca wanders space with a clone of Miles Teg, the ghola (a clone created from the dead DNA and with memories of the original person)of Duncan Idaho, Sheana and others. They are also being pursued by a group of Face Dancers that have infiltrated much of what remains of the government. The vast no-ship also carries stunted sandworms and the crew must avoid being captured by the Reverend Mother Marabella. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood has taken in many of their dark counterparts the Honored Matres and corruption has seaped to the very core of their society.
While the novel may lack much of Frank Herbert's insights this book (along with the forthcoming sequel SANDWORMS OF DUNE)is actually drawn from Frank's outline for the final volume to follow CHAPTERHOUSE. The workman-like approach to these novels may reduce the series to another space opera but it is an enjoyable space opera nonetheless. For better or worse Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have turned Frank's series of novels into a franchise much like the STAR WARS novels/films that George Lucas put together (which is ironic given that Lucas borrowed so much from Herbert's first novel and themes in the first place). That seems to be the trend in the publishing industry lately since these series novels tend to sell to the less demanding public. I have no doubt that this novel and its sequel will sell like hotcakes. I'm not so sure that's a good thing.
If you enjoyed the prequels that the duo wrote you won't be disappointed with this novel. If, however, you are a fan of Frank Herbert's novels you probably will be as these are "high concept" (Hollywood terminology for a simple concept easily digested)in comparison. I have mixed feelings about the books that the duo have written. Hopefully they will attract readers to Frank's original novels.
Book Review: A sad conclusion to a great series
Summary: 2 Stars
I have read everything Dune that I can get my hands on. I read Frank's Saga 3 times in my life at age 12, 14, and 16, so I feel pretty confident that I know the storyline. I even read most of Brian Herberts books that were prequels to Dune, except for the Machine Crusade and the Battle of Corin (I just got BORED of the writing style).
With that out of the way, let me begin the review. I never expected Frank's son to write like his father, but I also didn't expect a such a shallow attempt to end the Saga. Everything was laid out in a matter of fact way with very little depth, or attempt to keep much hidden. Most of the novel is predictable, and the characters just feel undeveloped and 2 dimensional. I read this merely because of the word "DUNE" was written on the cover.
If you expect a page turner, based on an inner interest in finding out what happens to the skeletal portrayal of the characters that existed in in Dune: Chapterhouse, then read this novel.
I found the writing crude to say the least with only an average skill at writting in general. I wished it only used material from the the primary Dune novels, with allusions to what occured before, but sadly this book interweaves the prequels way too much for my taste, especially because the prequels were just like this book; a shallow book losely based on the Dune Universe.
Like some of the reviewers said, too much was introduced just for the coolness fact, and
There were a lot blatant inconsistencies also (warning: I will discuss the novel now) like :
The ghola of the Baron Harkonnen, when revived, had Alia's persona inside of him, which made no sense for too many reasons.
There were times of mind melding and memory transferring between women who never underwent the water of life transformation, like between Honored Matres and the Bene Gessuit.
I really think Frank Herbert's son should have sold the rights of Dune to someone with more talent at writting sci-fi, at least to do his father justice. This could have easily been done, with Brian getting the lions share of the profits, rather than having such a poor writer continue in his father's footsteps. The apple has surely fellan far from the tree with this book.
Hey Brian, I hope it was worth it to drag your fathers legacy through the dirt in order to line your pockets, because that can be the only reason why a publisher would release this book. If it didn't say Dune or Herbert on the cover this would have been published as a paperback book shelved in the young adult sections of bookstores (or not shelved at all).
I give it two stars only because, I was vaguely entertained. But that doesn't mean I won't return the book. I am not giving my money to this tripe.
Book Review: Prequel...Sequel...conclusion -- it nearly all the same
Summary: 3 Stars
General comments:
Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson are not the best authors or the worst authors in the world. The prose is not innovative, moving but more of a utilitarian approach focused for young readers with a short attention span and limited logical ability. The subtly, intelligence and well defined characters of Frank Herbert's Dune novels are not in this story. The book seems to be trying to compress a lot of things into book, yet the items which are detailed seem not so important and out of character for the Dune universe.
I read the book seeking to find out what was in the "lost" outline left by Frank Herbert -- hoping for gems of insight as was in the original Dune novel. The unfortunate thing is that if the contents of the outline were found and acted on shortly after Frank's death -- the content might be the touchstone for man vs. machines, not a rehash of Matrix or Terminator.
I really do miss the complexity of Frank Herbert's writing and story telling style. A key part of any good mystery is not explaining too much of what is actually happening with the bad guy...the "Enemy" is not very scary, especially to anyone that has read the prequels will know immediatly who/what the "Enemy" is going to be. You will not need to read this book again as you will not get anything new out of it unlike the original Dune series.
I am not sure if I am going to read the final book -- "Sandworms of Dune". I think I can pretty much guess what is going to happen.
To Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson: you should be ashamed to be using plot tricks from day time soap operas -- dopplegangers of Paul one of which using an evil laugh in a dream of the "good" Paul ghola....oh please!
Summary:
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Characters: 2 stars -- paper thin and why bring back all the old characters yet not do anything novel with them. The authors could have done a nice bit in working free will into the story vs. being trapped by prophesy. The strength, ethics and likeability of characters from original Dune series is not present.
Plot: 4 stars -- the plots moves along fairly well and does a good job of tying up loose ends...a bit too neatly actually. There is little room for your imagination on what is going to happen next.
Writing: 1 star -- the style is the same high-school level writing for the attention span impaired.
Action: 2 stars -- the action sequences were fairly predictable and with little tension in them.
Overall: 2.5 stars -- I was along for the ride to see how the Dune universe ends but the scenery was not very pretty; normally, the journey is important not the destination...do not expect much from the journey here.
Book Review: I miss Frank
Summary: 3 Stars
These Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson novels are only worth reading if you loved the original Dune series. I loved the original Dune and then Chapterhouse was definitely my second favorite. It re-introduced the mysteriousness, fantasticness, unpredictability, philosophical, and religious aspects that were sorely missing from all the other books, except perhaps the God Emperor. Because I thought Chapterhouse was such a great novel, when I heard that Frank Herbert had left behind an outline for where the series was meant to go, I couldn't wait to pick up Hunters of Dune. I was sorely disappointed, and I'll tell you why, right after I address something I saw in another review.
Another reviewer has said that the first three novels were the best and the rest of Frank Herbert's work was too dense, uninteresting, and bogged down by philosophy, chalking up the simplistic writing style of the Brian/Anderson duo to a concerted attempt to be more interesting. Anyone who has read Dune Messiah knows this is untrue; the second book in the series is a poor follow-up to the incredible original Dune and leaves much to be desired. Frank eventually fills the readers' hunger for another intriguing Dune book with Children of Dune. But Chapterhouse is definitely one of his best works, reminiscent of the original in its science fiction and religious aspects, but introducing new elements with the Miles Teg ghola and the Honored Matres. I think Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson simply can't write well and are not doing so on purpose.
That said, I would have rather read the Frank Herbert outline. Brian and Kevin deliver all of Frank's ingenious and dramatic ideas without the pomp, buildup, and awe-inspiring prose that Frank used in all his books. The summary gives something away that Frank would have used to utterly shock and probably would have been the climax of his next book: the resurrection of historical figures as gholas. Brian and Kevin give it away in the book summary. While reading the novel, the writing style is so bad that I wish I could re-write the novel myself so I could enjoy it more thoroughly. The only enjoyment I got out of this novel (which got the rating to 3 stars) was the utter genious of Frank's outline that you see unfold throughout the novel, albeit completely hampered by the infantile writing style of the son and the inept sci fi writer he picked up along the way. Considering that Brian's inability to live up to his father's legacy was clear from the other Dune books he had published (all prequels to the original Dune series), I wish someone could have convinced him to let a real writer carry on the great Dune saga.
Book Review: As Long as We Keep Rubbernecking onto these Accidents...
Summary: 1 Stars
To be fair, the first three "sequexploitations" were not that bad. After all, Kevin J. Anderson, a mediocre author at best (I very much doubt that Herbert's son has anything to do with actually putting words on paper) did not veer far from the great Man's shadow. Small tentative steps around allready well-created characters functioning in a rich world. We, the fans of the original DUNE series, thirsty for more, we followed them. So, the more they sold, the more bold they became. Finally, they shrugged the last stitch of dignity. Do they actually think anyone bought the "in a long-forgotten vault we found my father's notes - for (an UNSPECIFIED NUMBER!!!) of new books"?
Standing on a giant's shoulders they first decided to create a protoDune World. Their next Trilogy introduced or "explained" tiresome Cymecs, a flaccid jihad, shallow characters, all with a simplified repetitive narrative. What is this? DUNE FOR DUMMIES?
Salivating over a larger audience, they decided their readers are barely intelligent enough to function by themselves. Hence, the vapid prose.
Now this one...Ah, it takes the cake. One of the appealing points of the Original Dune universe was its retro novelty. No races, no religions, no nationalities from old Earth. Yet, on the Dune canvas the timeless human psyche was projected in a virtuoso way. The same fears and desires, the same virtues and cardinal sins - all in worlds of sand, worms, Sardaukar, personal shields. And Spice.
Rabbis celebrating passover in Dune? What 's next? A Richard Simmons ghola promoting the new Ixian Thigh-master? Every other religion evolved (remember the Buddislamists?). What do they imply is wrong with Jews? What kind of half-baked racism is this? Not to mention a continuity blunder.
In the Dune prequels, Jews were the precursors of Fremen. Well, were they or were they not?
And something else: from the hot-air balloons to F35 it took us less than 200 years. Ornithopters made their appearance in the original Dune. Don't you THINK that in the following 5,000 years someone might, just MIGHT, have come up with something NEW?
Then again, that's the main problem with this book: wherever there is something new, it flops miserably. They do realize this themselves of course, hence the "new-spice", the "new-facedancers", the "new-BeneGeserits". There is NOTHING new about any of them.
Pass. Let's not encourage them any more.